Clearing The Air
by Nyx6
Summary: Sarah's grandmother was horrible to Tony in 'As The Day She Was Born,' but he took it like a man. The problem is, how does someone so proud say sorry? Just a little missing-scene with Gates, Becky and Sarah.


Just written because, firstly, I love Gates – he makes the show for me these days! I also love his relationship with Sarah and thought Becky was so mean to him in 'As The Day She Was Born.'

This is my take on what happened after they got home.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Too say it had been a long day would have been an understatement of epic proportions.

The hazy morning sunshine they had woken to had turned to cloud as they had driven into Chicago, that in turn shifting to the blue-grey of dusk before fading into the crisp darkness of night.

As Tony twisted the key in the door and stood back to let everyone in past him, she stole a glance at the clock on the wall. It was late, well, early. The second hand rhythmically ticking away the wee small hours as life carried on regardless.

"Sarah," Tony was the first to speak, his voice strangely loud in the silence. He placed a hand on the back of her head, a gesture both of comfort and coercion, "Get ready for bed please."

She obeyed him without question.

"I'll make her a hot drink," Becky began quietly, her voice hoarse from the hours of anguished silence. It didn't go unnoticed and she could feel Tony's eyes on her as she padded softly into the kitchen.

"Are you ok?"

The question caught her off guard, making the breath catch in her throat. Was she ok? She wasn't sure. Of course she should be, after all Hank was going to be fine. Other people might not have been so lucky. But try as she might she couldn't muster the elation she felt she should be feeling. She felt empty.

"Yes," it came out abruptly and at once she softened, turning to meet his concerned gaze, "I will be. We've been through worse than this."

Tony stared back at her solemnly. He didn't doubt it. The day's events were simply more to add to the growing list of family dramas. First Keith, then Meg and just as they'd all started to settle down Hank went and tried to get in on the act as well. It had definitely been a long day.

"Yeah," he replied softly.

A gentle silence descended between them as Becky turned her attentions back to Sarah's drink, a half-smile of nostalgia crossing her face,

"You know, I used to make this for Meg when she was a little girl, when she went through her phase of having nightmares. I used to be up with her at all hours – this was the one thing that would calm her down, send her back off to sleep."

Tony chuckled softly, letting his thoughts drift to Meg and how she had been when he first knew her. A beautiful, bubbly young woman, always laughing, untouched by the troubles of life. As his thoughts took over he absently added an extra splash of vanilla to the drink steaming on the counter-top, ensuring it was the way Sarah liked it.

Becky watched him with a smile. If there had been any silver lining to the day, and she was determined to believe that there was, then it was that for the first time she had seen the real Tony Gates, not just the one she thought he was. If she was honest it had been something of revelation, the man she had always seen as a no-hoper, drifting aimlessly from one thing to another, had seemed purposeful. From the moment Hank had collapsed to the floor until the moment they had left the hospital he had seemed, for lack of a better word, settled. Being a doctor suited him, County General suited him, like the pieces of a long overdue puzzle falling into place, Tony Gates was home.

She continued to watch him quietly, lost in his own thoughts. There was no point in pretending that things had been easy for him either. However hard it had been for herself and Hank to learn of their daughter's death it must have been, in many ways, worse for Tony, who had battled to save her and lost. Failing Meg, failing Sarah. Perhaps that was why the bond between him and her granddaughter was so strong, that shared experience. If his becoming a doctor was the missing piece in his life, then Sarah was the one part he'd already got right. Gone were the days she worried about Sarah's motherless upbringing.

The soft tapping of slippers on the floor brought them both out of their separate reveries, and they looked up to see Sarah padding towards them changed ready for bed.

Tony mustered a lop-sided smile as the girl glanced up at him, taking the mug from his outstretched hand. Becky watched them both. When Sarah had been staying with them at the farm the bedtime drink was never quite right and the teenager would always have to add a little extra vanilla to the mix, tonight however, no doubt because of Tony's inside knowledge, it was perfect. For what seemed like the first time that day, Mrs Riley allowed herself a wry smile.

"Can we go and see Grandpa in the morning?" Sarah asked hesitantly, blowing on her drink absently,

"Of course we can sweetheart," Tony replied softly, earning a dubious glance,

"Will he be feeling any better?"

"I should think so."

"And he'll be all the better for seeing you," Becky put in reassuringly, watching as Tony stroked Sarah's hair habitually, the gesture seemingly comforting to them both. She remembered him doing the same thing earlier in the day as they had stood in the trauma room, the girl standing quietly in the corner, bewildered, frightened and largely overlooked by everybody else.

"You think?" Sarah ventured hesitantly, an almost-bashful smile fleeting across her face. Becky nodded authoritatively,

"I know."

"Thanks Grandma," there was a short pause as Sarah sipped at her drink before letting out a weary sigh, "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Good idea. It's been a long day."

The teenager moved towards her arms outstretched and Becky took her into a hug, appreciating the feel of someone close to her, trying to hold back the pent up emotions of the day as the tears threatened to fall,

"Goodnight Grandma,"

"Goodnight sweetie."

Next Sarah moved onto Tony, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest, holding him tightly. He bent to kiss her gently on the head,

"I'll be in in a minute," he murmured gently, taking the empty cup from her hands as she passed by. Becky watched her go, vaguely surprised,

"You check in on her?" she asked as soon as the girl had gone from earshot, Tony grinned in response,

"Well in my experience 'I'm going to bed' usually translates as 'I'm going to go on MSN for the next few days.' Besides, she can't answer back when she's asleep."

Becky smiled.

"You know, when she stayed with us she hated me checking in on her. You're doing a great job Tony."

He looked up to meet her gaze, clearly startled,

"Thanks."

"I mean it, and not just with Sarah. You were wonderful today, and I didn't appreciate it. I was short with you, I shouted at you in front of your colleagues…"

"You were worried."

"That's no excuse."

He smiled across at her somewhat sympathetically, nodding in unspoken understanding,

"Apology accepted."

"Thank you."

As a contented silence settled in the kitchen, Becky took a deep breath,

"Well, I think I'm going to head off to bed as well. The sooner I'm done with this day the better," she turned and headed for the door, pausing briefly to look back at him. He was resting casually on the counter-top, surveying her calmly. Tony Gates had risen dramatically in her estimations over the last few months. Every time they met up he seemed to surprise her all over again, but the truth was she realised she was finally beginning to see what Meg and Sarah loved in him so much, and as far as she was concerned that was no bad thing.

She smiled softly,

"Goodnight Tony."

"Night Becky."

Perhaps they could all sleep easier tonight.


End file.
